


Protect Those You Care For

by caprithebunny



Category: Mass Effect - All Media Types, Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Bullying, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Fluffy Ending, Post-Mass Effect 3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-13
Updated: 2018-05-13
Packaged: 2019-05-06 00:08:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14629908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caprithebunny/pseuds/caprithebunny
Summary: After the Reaper war finale, Liara and Shepard strive to help bring the galaxy a lasting peace through a peace conference. However, some don't seem to get the concept...





	Protect Those You Care For

Shepard’s eyes glimpsed over the new Presidium, easily finding what still needed to be rebuilt… _ like most of the Citadel still and galaxy _ . She shook her head; in all honesty, she’d rather still be out fixing the world rather than  _ here. _ ‘Here’ being the first meeting of I.F.P.R.E. (Intergalactic Forum for Peace and Rebuilding Efforts), where things had started off… rough. It had started with Wrex throwing the salarian Dalatrass into the Presidium’s ‘lake’ (just a really nasty pool of water where all the trash has been placed for easy clean up) and demanding the salarian  _ Councilor  _ be the one to negotiate, before it all spiraled down from there for a solid four hours. Shepard’s head  _ still _ ached from the table that had knocked her off her feet. ‘Peace’ her ass; this had only been more infighting. 

 

She looked back towards the forum-goers, who had finally started to calm down when the thirty-minutes-till-dinner announcement had sounded. As of now, no one was seeming to be in the mood to bicker, although she wondered how long it would last. Wanting to think of something more  _ pleasant, _ her eyes scanned the crowd for a certain asari who had come as her date-but-not-date. Yeah,  _ they still need to figure that out. _ Shepard spotted the particular black dress she had helped pick out yesterday, and couldn’t help but to smile at the conversation that led to it:

 

_ “I don’t know, Liara, I like that one.” Shepard motioned her head to the silky, curve-pronouncing black dress Liara was trying on. It cut off just above her knees, was a little off her shoulders and, in all fairness, Shepard wouldn’t mind staring at her in it for a little while.  _

__ _ Liara shook her head in exasperation; the first ten dresses hadn’t matched the event and this  _ one  _ surely didn’t, compared to the others. “Shepard! This-this is a date dress, not a ‘I’m qualified to be here’ dress!”  _

__ _ “No, see, it’s professional and somewhat flirty. It’ll be good to seem both professional and relaxed. If nothing else, it makes your butt look nice.” Shepard shook her head in disagreement, and gave her a shit-eating grin, while Liara loudly scoffed. _

_“What has_ ** _that_** _got to do with this?”_

__ _ “I mean, it’ll give me something to do if it gets boring.” Shepard shrugged, as if it all made sense. _

__ _ “ _ **_What_ ** ? _ How?” _

“ _ If things go to ‘I feel like I could sleep right now’ levels, I can just stare at your ass and everyone will just think I’m paying attention.” Liara looked at her as though she were mentally incompetent.  _

 

Shepard was dragged out of the memory as she realized what was happening. Liara had a defiant yet nervous look on her face, turned towards a group of other asari, who had a certain  _ look  _ to them. The same kind of look she remembered from the preppy, I-could-own-you type girls in school back on Earth. She watched them for a few moments, noticing how Liara was slowly becoming less confident and more as though she’d rather still be fighting the Reapers. Not wanting to raise suspicion, but also not liking the look on Liara’s face or the way her body was reacting, Shepard made a her way to her and the other asari, putting on a more open and less-serious face. 

 

“Good evening! I hope you all don’t mind if I join you; I just can’t seem to find anyone  _ interesting _ to talk to.” Shepard put on her most charming smile, and knew it and her words worked as the group of asari laughed and giggled to themselves, eagerly inviting her into the conversation, though not without a few backhanded comments to Liara. 

 

“Oh, no, of course not  _ Admiral  _ Shepard. Such a fitting title for you now; it must be so irritating to have to be in the company of… less worthy people all the time.” A particularly young asari eyed her up and down with a grin, before curling her lip at Liara, who had a silent, defiant look on her face. Shepard carefully set her face to a curious, confused state. 

 

“Why, whatever could you mean? My time is only spent with the  _ finest _ of people, I assure you!” She gave a slightly toothy grin, and she could tell they enjoyed it. One of the other asari spoke up, their crisp, nasally voice rather grating to the ear.

 

“You call  _ her  _ the finest of people?” The asari gestured stiffly to Liara, their nose curling in distaste. “A  _ entitled pureblood _ ? The same one who’s mother served  _ Saren _ ? Admiral Shepard, I think you’ve hit your head to ever consider  _ her  _ worth your time.” She gave a nasty smile, as though expecting praise- however, Shepard had none to give. Rather, she was seeing red and had they not been at a  _ peace  _ meeting, she would likely shoot this arrogant hag. Shepard felt a bolt of pure anger and outrage shoot down her spine, and another at the look on Liara’s face. Large tears poured down her face, dripping off of her jaw and chin. Oh,  _ to hell with trying to be nice _ . The gloves were coming off.

 

She wrapped a well-muscled arm gently around Liara’s shoulders, gently pulling her closer, then gestured to her with her free hand. “Oh, you mean Liara? The same woman who helped me  _ take down Saren _ , who is the sole reason I’m standing here alive today? The same woman who went toe-to-toe with some of Cerberus’s finest, and never once ran out on me in the middle of battle? Or, how about this:  _ she’s the only reason you’re all alive. _ She discovered the Crucible, she’s the one who studied for days on end with no sleep to figure out how it ticked. Hell, if she hadn’t none of us would be standing here. So, yes, I consider her one of the finest, most amazing people I’ve ever known, while you lot…” Shepard looked the group of asari up and down, her charming face turning into a disgusted grimace. The asari had such surprise written on their faces… And  _ shame. “ _ You should be  _ ashamed. _ She risked hide and limb to make sure people like  _ you _ , who did nothing to help, didn’t perish. And yes, I know where all of you were during the Reaper invasion. Hidden away in a bunker on Thessia, and helping no one but  _ yourselves. _ So if you don’t mind, we have places to be. You know, as decorated  _ war heroes. _ ” Shepard gently lead Liara away, her back straight and head high, leaving the asari behind to brood in their own thoughts.

 

Shepard led her to where they couldn’t be seen so well, and gently cupped her soft, smooth face in her calloused hands. She used her thumbs to remove the tears still streaming down her face, feeling a slight amount of friction between each swipe. Liara’s beautiful baby blues looked deep in Shepard’s eyes, and she saw humiliation and old reopened scars deep within them. Shepard gently kissed her, then pulled Liara to her in a warm, loving hug, one of those strong hands coming up to press her crested head into her shoulder. Liara’s hands twisted into the back of her Alliance formals, soft sobs coming from her. 

 

They stood there like that for what seemed like hours, though it was only mere minutes. The five minute warning alarm rang out, and finally Liara pulled her head away, wiping her face. She sniffled a few times, her eyes looking at the ground, before Shepard spoke up, breaking the vocal silence.

 

“Don’t take what they said to heart, Liara. You’re an amazing person and you’ve done  _ nothing  _ to deserve what they said. They're jealous because they know they'll never amount to even half of who you are. Think of how everyone but them looks at you here not one other person agrees. You’re respected, you’re admired… And you're loved.” Liara sniffled again, her still somewhat damp eyes peering up to Shepard as she gave a weak smile, and lightly bit her bottom lip. 

  
“I-I know, Shepard. It's just so hard when I knew them so long ago. They made my university life hell, and I never really stopped thinking like I did then. Or, well, not until I met you… You changed a lot, and not just for everyone else but for me too…” Liara looked at her omnitool’s clock, and gasped. “Shepard, come on! The dinner will start in only a minute’s time!” She hurried off, Shepard rushing after her, a grin on her face. It _was_ like Liara to go from a heart-to-heart to seriousness… But Shepard wouldn’t want her any other way.

**Author's Note:**

> This was part of an art trade with skyllianhamster on tumblr! You should check her out, she has great art for ME!!


End file.
